Airship.



P. J. PROKOP.

AIRSHIP,

APPLacM'mu FiLED maxim 191T.

Patented Oct. 23, 191-7.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTO A TTORME Y8 "IVE/ TOR pjproko v Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"runners APPLICATION FILED mmzmisn.

WITNESSES UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

raonor .mox rnoxor, or new YORK, v. Y.

AIBSEI'P.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 24, 1917. Serial No. 144,158.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PROKOP J. Pnonor, a subject of the Emperor of Bohemia, and a. resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Airships,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to air navigating vessels of the heavier than air type, and among the objects thereof are to provide such vessels of relatively great speed through the application of a new principle, which may dispense with "the usual supporting planes if desired, which are very simple in construction and operation, and which may be made of very great load bearing capacity.

My invention is fully described inthe following specification, of which the acc0m-' panying drawings form a part, in which like characters refer to like parts in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of an airship constructed in accordance with my invention; v

Fig. 2 is arear end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 4: is a similar section taken on the frame provided with wheels 10, the conical head 11 having ventilating or observation windows 12 and carrying a propeller 13 on a shaft 15 drivenbya motor 16, through.

the medium of a chain 17, interiorly ofthe body 8 as far below the axisof the body as possible tostabilize the airship.

Inclosing the cylindrical part of thebody isa sleeve 18 driven by means of an internal ear 19 therein an'da chain of gears 20 proh the body into operative enmaintained in relative osition by means o internal ribs 21, Fig. '5, avin'gsu table'bearings inthe 'peripher ofthe body '8, pref- :erubly antifrictiona.

' The sleeve 18 carries a plurality of spirally arranged wings 22, shown as two in number although this is. optional, of relatively great expanse centrally of their lengths and tapered toward the ends and I prefer to provide triangular lanes 23 at the front of the airship to fill the spaces within the respective outriggers 9 to which they are attached not taken up by the wings in the revolution of thesleeve 18.

The outer ends of the respective outriggers 9 carry, each, a spring re-wound roller 24 for a flexible sheet 25 the outer edge of which is secured to a frame 26 the side rods of which are slidably arranged within the respective tubular Outriggers 9 and adapted to be forced outwardly by means, of flexible shafts 27 within said outriggers operable by means of drums 2S driven by chains 29. in operative connection with the motor 16, suitable guiding means being rovided for the portions of the flexible s afts 27 not within the respective tubular Outriggers.

The flexible sheets 25 constitute, when used, supporting planes and, when the flexible shafts'27 are drawn inwardly by their drums, will be Wound on their respective rollers '24 to dispense with the use of said planes 25, as after the ship has'reached a desired altitude above the earth. after-starting a trip.

Arranged at the rear of the body is a. ball and socket joint 30 the ball of which carrise a combined vertical and horizontal rud' der and controllable by means of cables 31 or in any desired manner, the horizontal rudder 32 being used to vary the altitude. and upon leaving the tical rudder 33 being or steering pu oses. The wings 22 will be revolved rapi ly to not alone drive the ship forwardly but also, when the ship is in the air, to support the ship aided by the triangular planes 23, and the forward movement is existed by the propeller 13 of conventional type.

ound, and the ver-v The body 8 and outrigger elements will always be maintained in horizontal position because of the gravity effect of the;motor, passengers, stores, fuel, or other matter within said body, and the projectile shape thereof will offer little air resistance, while the wings '22 will serve'not only as a. drive but as a substitute for the conventional supportin planes. A

My illustrations are for an operative structure though not developed as yet in practical details, and I reserve the right to alter 5 Letters Patent, is

,. said details within the seopeof the appended' M di-within the spint of the 'inyention. avin fully described my invention, what I c a'im'as newfangi desire to secure by An airship, comprisin 'a projectile sheped body, amotor therein elow' its center of ggavlty, a sleeve revoluble on saidbogly. and

.geaQred' tp-1 ai;d. pil n11y arra d,- wings on said sleeve, gin'chngrudders, tu 11 1ar Outriggers carried b 'said body, a frame slidably movable-in ea pain of Outriggers, a supportin plane carried by each mine, and means in rollingsaid plazn'esi upon the inward movement of said frames.

. ?ROKOP JACK; PROKOP. 

